Grahamstown Police are still searching for a 92-year-old pensioner who was last seen on 14 February, on his way to visit a woman who lived a street away from his house.
Grahamstown Police are still searching for a 92-year-old pensioner who was last seen on 14 February, on his way to visit a woman who lived a street away from his house.
According to his daughter, Nobendiba Kota (Nobendiba), Qili Nyamanda of number 74 Nomyayi Street, affectionately known as "Meyana", left his home at 7am on Valentine's Day.
Nyamanda shared his RDP home with grandson Mbuleli Kota, 31, Nobendiba's son.
Nobendiba said Mbuleli lived in Committees Drift, near Glenmore, and only stayed with Nyamanda during weekdays as her son worked in Grahamstown.
She said Mbuleli grew suspicious after days went by without a sign of Nyamanda. He last saw his grandfather on the morning of 14 February. "Mbuleli came to do shopping in Grahamstown on the Saturday and went to his Grandpa's home," said Nobendiba.
She said Mbuleli was surprised to find the house locked and the keys still in the secret place that only the two of them knew about.
A worried Mbuleli decided to sleep the night hoping that his grandfather would appear.
Mbuleli went back to Committees Drift on Sunday, to report to the family that Nyamanda hadn't been home the whole weekend.
A search began on Wednesday, 20 February, with the first stop being the friend he set out to visit on Valentine's Day morning.
Another daughter, Sindiwe Nyamanda, said the woman confirmed that the old man visited her, but left on the same day.
"We went to the relatives in A Street and also went to the police. We also checked the hospitals, but no one could find him and we are still waiting (for information)," she said.
Nobendiba decided to conduct another search the following week. She went back to question the friend her father had been to see, but was shocked to discover that the woman had since passed away.
Police are seeking the assistance of the public to trace the whereabouts of the missing pensioner.
According to a statement from the police media centre in East London, Nyamanda was wearing a green hat, black and white jeans, a green and white T-shirt, a blue, denim jacket and a beige pair of Soviet-branded shoes, when he disappeared.
Anyone with information can contact warrant officer Zwane of the Grahamstown South African Police Services (SAPS) on 046 603 9159/082 3317 409; or contact the SAPS Crime Stop number on 08600 10111.
Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Malli Govender said it was difficult to put an exact figure to the number of missing persons in the area.
"People are often reported missing who turn up within hours," she said.
"In some cases, they just haven't told family members where they're going, and come back within hours."
"Some are runaways, who eventually come back. Sometimes people just forget to tell their families where they're going," said Govender.
